Great turnout for Forres to Elgin tractor run for Lower Speyside Young Farmers
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TRACTORS can be the bane of a motorist’s life, but when 27 lined up to travel from Forres to Elgin, the public was nothing but supportive.
The Lower Speyside Young Farmers’ annual tractor run, which took place on October 8, saw scores of local farmers come together to raise more than £700 for club funds and charity Farm Safety Foundation.
Tractors embarked on a three-hour journey, starting at Forres Academy and ending in Elgin’s Tesco car park. The event helped to gain publicity for the young farmers and support for local farming.
Lower Speyside Young Farmers’ are a sub-branch of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs. The club includes people from the ages of 14 to 28, with the Lower Speyside group having 68 members.
The club will be using the money to fund a range of activities, including various tours and annual events.
Blair Duncan, chairman of Lower Speyside Young Farmers, said: “We really appreciate all the generous donations. The community is great as all farmers across Scotland look out for each other. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
“Farming is all I’ve ever known and the club is a fantastic thing to be a part of.”
The Farm Safety Foundation, an independent charity that works closely with industry partners to engage, educate, and communicate strong farm safety messages, were delighted to receive half of the funds raised.
A charity spokesperson said: “We are extremely grateful for the support of the Lower Speyside Young Farmers and everyone involved in their recent tractor run. As a small charity working throughout the UK, every donation matters to us.
“Agriculture has the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK. Our goal is to raise awareness of farm safety and mental health and to challenge the next generation of farmers to change their attitudes to risk-taking and poor mental health so we can make our farms safer places to work and to live.
“Donations are vital for our work, and they are even more special when they come from the very audience we were set up to support.”
The Young Farmers are incredibly grateful for the help from Tesco, as well as the Little Kitchen who catered for the event.
“We’ve never had any problems with being able to do it, and Tesco have always been very keen to help,” Blair added.
“The tractor run is a great event and it’ll hopefully be happening for many years to come.”
